Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right) knocks the ball out of the hands of Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (left) in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Nov 25, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night. The Kings took on the Oklahoma City Thunder inside Golden 1 Center. The Kings were on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday evening, 108-103.

After the loss, the Kings prepared for the Thunder, who came into the game on Monday with a 12-4 record. The Kings looked to improve their 8-9 record heading into the game. Tip-off was set for 7 PM PST. The Kings lost their fourth straight game as the Thunder defeated the Kings 130-109.

The Kings gave word pregame that Malik Monk would make his return to action on Monday. It was much-welcomed news for a reeling Kings team that hadn’t been fully healthy since Monk’s injury on November 10th.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out with good energy on the offensive side of the ball. However, they were sloppy with the ball. The Kings had five turnovers in the first quarter, which set them on an alarming path. The Kings had been turning the ball over at an alarming rate of late and needed to clean that up. They were outscored in the first quarter 31-30 by the Thunder. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings in the first quarter with nine points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 12 points.

In the second quarter, each team continued to push the intensity on the offensive end of the floor. DeMar DeRozan added another 10 points in a 32-point quarter for the Kings. Allay Mitchell added eight points for the Thunder in the second quarter as they scored 32 points as a team. The Kings went into halftime trailing 63-62. The leading scorer in the game through the first half was DeMar DeRozan with 19 points. I had a feeling the game would come down to three-point shooting in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings just couldn’t get anything going. It’s as simple as that. The Kings weren’t active on the defensive end of the floor, and it translated to their offense. The Kings looked like a team lost at sea. The offense had no identity, and they couldn’t hit open shots. The Kings were outscored in the third quarter 34-22 and trailed the Thunder 97-84 heading into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings got blown off the floor. There’s nothing else to write. The Kings couldn’t mount any sort of comeback as they were outscored 33-25 in the fourth. The Kings lost the game 130-109. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 30 points in defeat, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points in victory for the Thunder.

Up Next: The Kings play on Wednesday in Minnesota as they take on the Timberwolves at 5 PM PST.